Since the widespread introduction of the Edison incandescent light, structural electrical wiring has changed very little. Frustratingly, wall mounted electrical devices and ceiling mounted electrical devices typically follow widely divergent plug and receptacle standards.
In the United States, most appliances are wired with NEMA 1 (two-prong plugs, i.e., with no safety ground) or NEMA 5 (three-prong plugs, i.e., with a safety ground) plugs. Wall receptacles are typically wired with NEMA 5-15R outlets. Typical light bulbs still follow the Edison Screw socket standard first introduced in the early 1900s.
While the current NEMA/Edison Screw wiring system reliably provides an electrical connection to power devices, this system cannot be used to provide physical (i.e., load bearing) support. For example, a typical table lamp cannot be securely mounted using a NEMA connection. Rather, any force applied to the cord (e.g., if someone trips over the wiring) will immediately unplug the device or, possibly worse, knock the device over.
Elevated electrical devices such as wall sconces, recessed lighting, track lighting and ceiling fans follow a variety of standards, but typically need to be directly “hard wired” into a building's electrical system. For example, a typical ceiling fan with built-in lights needs to be directly wired into a ceiling fixture box. This is, in part, due to the inability of NEMA/Edison Screw plugs and outlets to bear a load since nearly all elevated electrical devices require structural support in mounting. Additionally, many elevated electrical devices are chosen for their aesthetic appeal which would be detracted by the presence of visible wiring. Typically, elevated electrical devices are mounted to a recessed structural element (e.g., a fixture box) which is, in turn, attached to a structural element of the building such as a ceiling beam or a wall stud.
Installing an elevated electrical device follows a routine pattern. First, an electrician mounts a recessed structural element (e.g., a fixture box) onto a structural support member (e.g., a wall stud). Next, the electrician wires internal connections within the structural element (e.g., a fixture box) into the building's electrical system. After the wall/ceiling material (e.g., drywall) is installed, an electrician will: (i) hard wire the desired elevated electrical device into the electrical wiring of the fixture box; and (ii) mount the device (e.g., by mounting a ceiling fan to a fan fixture box by means of support screws).
Unfortunately, replacing an elevated electrical device follows much of this same routine pattern. The old electrical device must be unmounted and unwired. Afterwards, a new electrical device must be remounted and rewired. Wiring a new elevated electrical device poses safety risks. In fact, because of safety and liability concerns, most elevated electrical device manufacturers and building insurance companies require that such wiring be limited to qualified licensed electricians. Such a requirement dramatically increases remodeling costs.
Many elevated electrical devices are also located high above the ground. This poses an additional safety risk as an electrician must work at a height. Many times, electricians must dangerously work atop a ladder—holding the electrical device in one hand while completing the electrical connection with the other hand.
Various devices disclose attempts to remedy the difficulties in replacing elevated electrical devices. For example, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/460,746 (Haubach) (hereinafter the “'746 application”) discloses “Interchangeable Lighting Fixtures for Track and Wall Lighting System”. However, the '746 application is limited to head lighting (i.e., not all elevated electrical devices such as ceiling fans). Additionally, the '746 application does nothing to promote interoperability with non-elevated electrical devices. For example, the electrical system discussed in the '746 application would be ill-suited to use in non-elevated electrical devices such as table lamps and floor lamps.